The new American Eagle Lift is now open!

 

The American Eagle Lift, a high-speed quad, will be replaced with a Leitner Poma high-speed lift that includes a combination of both 6-person chairs and 8-person gondola cabins. The new lift will increase uphill capacity by over 40 percent, allowing more skiers and snowboarders access to an abundance of Copper’s intermediate terrain.

 

May 23

The chairs, cables and terminals have been removed. The removal of the towers has begun. As the snow continues to melt, Leitner Poma and Copper's staff will begin construction of the new lift! 

 

June 25

Excavation has begun at the location of the new top terminal. Next to this terminal will be a structure that will house both the gondolas and chairs to preserve their condition. 

 

July 24

A snow vehicle maintenance shop is set to be built off the top of the American Eagle lift. It will house snowcats and other essential equipment needed on the mountain. This will save a significant amount of time and fuel as currently, all snowcats have to make their way back to Vehicle Maintenance in East Village each day.

 

August 22

Top terminal and tower digging continues. You may be wondering where the old towers may have gone. They were trucked down the hill versus being flown out! 

 

September 3

Construction on the top terminal is coming along nicely. Look for concrete pours via helicopter this week. 

 

September 5

A Blackhawk helicopter paid a visit to pour concrete for new lift towers! See the video and photos below. Next up: bottom terminals!

 

 

September 26

Backfilling at the bottom terminal is taking place. The top terminal is nearly complete - and looking pretty sharp! The new towers are being staged in the Far East lot and are nearly ready to fly. See the photos below. 

 

October 10

The Black Hawk returned to put in all new towers! Here are some fun facts:

• The lift consists of 96 six-person chairs and 24 eight-passenger gondola cabins.
• The cable rope is 52mm in diameter. 
• It is operated on a 1,000 horsepower engine. 

 

 

November 13

As you may or may not have heard by now, the American Eagle and the American Flyer lifts will not be opening on Opening Day, Friday, November 16. We are waiting on two crucial parts (one for each lift) that are expected to arrive this week. Stay tuned for updates as to when they will open.

With that in mind, our crews along side Leitner-Poma have been working so hard! The Eagle terminal is up (and looks pretty sharp if you ask us) and the haul rope is going up as we speak. What's really exciting is that the American Eagle and American Flyer are the first two lifts in all of North America to run on direct drives versus a complex gear system. Also, the gondola cabins have arrived and are ready to go! 

We will still be opening on Friday, November 16 with access to the mountain via Super Bee! Learn more here. 

 

November 23

The gondola cabins and chairs are on the cable! The Colorado Tramway Board is on site completing load tests and inspections. You can catch the action on the Center Village webcam. We are so close! Stay tuned for any additional updates as soon as we have them including an opening date. Check out the photos below. 

 

November 30

We are excited that recent heavy snowfall has allowed us to open 1,224 acres of terrain for Saturday. Skiers and riders will be able to access both East and West Villages without relying on ground transportation. However, despite our best efforts, the American Eagle will not be operational on December 1st and 2nd. See our and Leitner-Poma's statement here. 

 

December 3

The American Eagle lift is NOW OPEN! It will provide access to the mountain daily. For any additional questions regarding the lift, feel free to message us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram or call our Guest Services team at 970-968-2318. We're excited to see you soon!